Gas Meter House Facade - Kendal, Cumbria, UK.
N 54° 19.384 W 002° 44.729
30U E 516554 N 6019497
The Gas Meter House Facade dated 1825, was originally located on the meter house of the Kendal Gas-Light Company and is now located at the Peppercorn Lane Car Park in Kendal.
Waymark Code: WM13FQM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/03/2020
Views: 2
The Gas Meter House Facade has a classical frontage, two pillars, two Tuscan columns and a pediment and is now located on the Peppercorn Lane Car Park in Kendal. It was originally located on the meter house of the Kendal Gas - Light Company on Parkside Road.
"The gas works were built next to the Kendal to Lancaster canal, with a dedicated wharf where coal could be delivered to the works. The gas works had two holders, one being the reserve supply, with a combined capacity of twenty two thousand cubic feet of gas. In 1849, Kendal Gas Light and Coke Company became known as the Kendal Union Gas and Water Company. The company has long since vanished, as have most of the buildings. The two gas holders have gone, but some stores, offices and workshops still exist on the site just off Park Side road. One piece of the site has been re-located to the Abbot Hall museum. The facade of the meter house, designed by Francis Webster in 1825, was finally moved from the gas works to its new home when the site was cleared in 1984." SOURCE: (
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The facade dated 1825 was designed by Francis Webster and was originally located on the gas meter house of the Kendal Gas-Light Company in Parkside Road in Kendal.
When the gasworks was demolished in 1969, it was preserved and moved to its present location on the Abbott Hall site in 1984.
The move was sponsored by North West Gas.
The Latin inscription on the pediment comes from Horace's 'Ars Poetica'(The Art of Poetry) and reads as follows;
" EX FUMO DARE LUCEUM"
(from smoke let light break out)SOURCE: The information above was obtained from a plaque placed by Kendal Civic Society. (
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The facade is Grade II listed, the description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"FORMER GAS COMPANY FACADE TO NORTH-WEST OF NOS 9 AND 11 CHURCH WALK
SD 5192 SE KENDAL KIRKLAND (Off East side) 11/73 Gas Company Facade to north-west of nos 9 and 14-4-69 11 Church Walk G.V. II
Facade of original Kendal Gas Company Meter House, removed from original site at Gas Works in Parkside Road and reconstructed (1984) on west elevation of extension to Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry. Dated 1825 on keystone. Attributed to Francis Webster. Pedimented portico of tooled ashlar. Semicircular-headed entrance with engaged Tuscan column, and corner pilaster, on plinth to either side. Entablature has EX FUMO DARE LUCEM carved on fascia and KENDAL UNDERTAKING painted in red on frieze.
Listing NGR: SD5161092197" SOURCE: (
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A photo of the facade in its original setting at the Kendal Gas-Light Company in Parkside Road, can be seen at the following link: (
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